In Cory’s Words
My Family’s Story
From the About section of the upcoming app. Keith Point Rummy is still in development and is not yet available in app stores.
Hi, I’m Cory Keith. My dad, Rob Keith, and I created this version of the card game together. I’m also a web developer, and I developed this app to share it with you.
In the early 2000s, my grandparents, Harry and Dorothy Keith, introduced us to an earlier variation. It was a betting game, but instead of betting real money, we just used coins as playing pieces.
My grandparents lived in Kings Point, a 55+ community in Tamarac, Florida, where they played with other residents. By the time we brought the game home, we had forgotten its original name. Since it came to us from Kings Point, my family decided to call it King’s Point Rummy, or KPR for short.
My dad and I got tired of hunting down coins every time we wanted to play. So we came up with our own variation, using a scoring system we could write on paper. No more searching for a pile of coins before we could get started!
We taught more family members how to play, and the game kept spreading. To this day, my aunts and uncles on both sides of my family, along with their friends, still love playing it.
For me, the best part has always been the time together. We talk, reminisce about the past, and end up laughing hysterically. Some of my favorite memories are of all of us sitting around the table, playing cards and having a great time.
My family has used pen and paper to keep score for years. That’s why I included the In-Person Scorecard in this app. I wanted us to keep playing with real cards while keeping score digitally and using less paper. You can use it on a phone, but I think a tablet gives everyone a better view of the scorecard.
Although my grandparents are no longer with us, I feel their memory lives on in the spirit of this game. Every time we sit down to play, we carry a little part of them with us.
I want to thank everyone who has supported me over the years, and especially my dad for creating this version with me. And I want to thank you, yes, you, for downloading and playing. It means a lot to me that you’re helping keep this family tradition and my grandparents’ memory alive.
I hope you enjoy learning and playing in the app. More than that, I hope you bring out a deck of cards, gather your family or friends, and spend some time talking about the good ol’ days. Those conversations and laughs are what make this game special to me.
You might be wondering why I named the app Keith Point Rummy when my family has always called it King’s Point Rummy. I wanted this version to have its own name, and using my grandparents’ last name felt right. Keith is my last name too, so it honors the family who introduced us to the game and the family who helped it grow. And best of all, we can still call it KPR.